Blue Rift Widens! Top Democrat Bails as Party’s Faith in Biden Wavers Ahead of 2024 Showdown

William FurneyOct 17, 2023

Minute Read

President Joe Biden’s decision to run for re-election next year is not sitting well with some people, including in his own Democratic Party. Now, a Democratic Representative has announced he is leaving his House leadership role over the president’s candidacy.

Stepping Down

Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota said he was stepping down from the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee and the Democratic Caucus leadership because he felt the incumbent president was not the right candidate for next year’s race.

‘Position Is Incongruent’

Phillips said in a statement on X, the messaging platform previously called Twitter: “While politics & official work do not mix, it’s clear my convictions about 2024 are incongruent with the position of my colleagues & that was causing discomfort. I was not pressured or forced to resign.”

Expressing Gratitude

Phillips, who co-chaired the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, said he was grateful for his time in the leadership post. “I celebrate Leader (Hakeem) Jeffries for his remarkable and principled leadership, and extend gratitude to my outstanding friends and colleagues for having created space and place for my perspectives. I’ll continue to abide by my convictions, place people over politics, and support our shared mission to deliver security, opportunity, and prosperity for all Americans. Onward!”

‘Grave Concerns’

The 54-year-old politician and businessman had reportedly been considering his own run for the White House, and had previously said, in an interview with CNN, that he had “grave concerns” about Biden running again.

‘Better Candidates Than Biden’

Phillips also said on CNN that there were “ample, well-prepared, competent people of great characters” that would be a better fit for the Democratic Party’s selection of its candidate for the 2024 election.

Big Worries About a Biden Run

An overwhelming majority of Americans are concerned about Biden being re-elected in next year’s election, according to a poll conducted in August. Most people — 73% of those surveyed by political and election pollster SSRS — are worried about the president’s age and mental and physical ability; he will be 81 in November.

Other Concerns About Biden

Editorial credit: Oscar Ivan Lopez / Shutterstock.

A majority, 76%, are also anxious about Biden being able to properly serve another term while 68% said they were “seriously concerned” about the large age gap between the president and younger people, saying he may not understand their worries and issues.

Biden Image Dive

The president’s image has suffered in recent months following a series of incidents in which he stumbled on the steps of Air Force One — the presidential plane — and also while walking on stage to deliver a speech. More recently, the president rambled and appeared incoherent while making remarks at a press conference in Vietnam, forcing his press secretary to cut his microphone and end the event.

Approval Rating

President Biden’s approval rating has hit a new low, with the majority of those polled in September, 56%, saying they disapprove of the job he is doing. That may hint his campaign to stay in the White House could prove difficult.

Biden Against Trump?

If Biden, along with his vice president, Kamala Harris, is chosen as the Democratic candidate for the 2024 presidential election, he may face former president Donald Trump, whom he beat in 2020. Trump is currently leading the field of candidates, by a wide margin, of approximately 10% to 60%, in the Republican primary race, according to recent polls.

Other Democratic Candidates

Only a small number of challengers have thrown their hat into the ring for the Democratic Party nomination for next year’s race. Among them are author Marianne Williamson, 71, and political commentator Cenk Uygur, 53, although he would be ineligible to serve in the White House because he was not born in the United States but Istanbul, Turkey.

RFK Jr Run

Image Credit: Ringo Chiu / Shutterstock.

Lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr, 69, had been campaigning for the Democratic Party nomination, hoping to beat Biden, but in early October announced he was switching to an independent candidacy. “Today, we turn a new page in American politics. There have been independent candidates in this country before, but this time it’s going to be different. Because this time, the independent is gonna win,” he said.

Reaction to Phillips’ Resignation

Representative Dean Phillips’ announcement that he was stepping down due to President Biden’s re-election run triggered an avalanche of comments on X.

“So tell me who can defeat Trump? I understand the concern about age, but which Democrat who you like will defeat Trump?” a man called Michael Turner asked.

‘No Alternatives Offered’

Another user, Renee, opined on X that “this isn’t about you challenging Biden so much as it is that you clearly don’t realize the risk in what you were suggesting. Nor did you provide any logical alternative. We’ve too much at stake to suffer or to even entertain your inability to understand the obvious.”

Phillips ‘a Disgrace’

Describing himself as a “political commentator,” Kaivan Shroff wrote on X:

“You are a disgrace. Wasting time on your narcissistic agenda to raise your profile when democracy is literally on the ballot. Real Americans with real problems don’t have time for your distractions and media tour. Enough.”